Joe Mazzulla was tight-lipped after Tuesday’s follow on the standing of his injured beginning heart. In truth, Mazzulla claimed he’d neither seen nor spoken with Neemias Queta, who exited Sunday’s win over the Magic with a left ankle sprain.
Subsequent feedback from Queta’s teammates, nevertheless, advised the Celtics large man could miss some time.
The crew confirmed that later within the day, formally ruling Queta out for Wednesday’s sport in opposition to the Pistons at TD Backyard.
“We don’t actually have a man that may change what Neemi does for us,” Derrick White mentioned. “It’s received to be only a group effort. … Hopefully, he comes again as shortly as attainable, however we’ve all received to step up.”
As White famous, Boston doesn’t have a 1-for-1 substitute for Queta, who’s exceeded expectations in his first season as an NBA starter. On the time of his harm, the Portuguese 7-footer ranked third within the league in defensive score, seventh in web score and tied for tenth in plus/minus whereas averaging a career-best 9.3 factors, 7.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per sport.
Although the Celtics have been in a position to beat a shorthanded Orlando squad with out Queta, they’ve been a considerably worse crew when he sits this season. His effectivity differential — how far Boston’s web score drops when he’s off the ground — is the third-highest of any NBA participant, per Cleansing the Glass. Boston’s defensive score is 25.7 factors worse in its non-Queta minutes, the most important disparity within the league.
Towards the Magic, who have been taking part in with out their beginning and backup facilities, Mazzulla opted to exchange Queta with a series of smaller lineups that includes 6-foot-8 Chris Boucher, 6-foot-8 Josh Minott and 6-foot-7 Jordan Walsh on the 5. Luka Garza, Queta’s main understudy since he signed this offseason, didn’t depart the bench, nor did reserve large man Xavier Tillman.
“We’ve talked about depth the entire yr, and depth appears to be like like a bunch of various guys having the ability to execute totally different stuff,” Mazzulla mentioned when requested why Garza was a wholesome DNP for the primary time this season. “So we simply took benefit of the depth that we now have and matched what we felt was the personnel to Orlando and the way the sport was going, and everyone’s received to have the ability to do this.
“Each sport will name for one thing totally different based mostly on our lineups, their lineups, the sport, and we simply have to have the ability to do this. I feel the fellows are beginning to actually perceive that. It’s arduous to execute, but it surely’s vital, and the method of what goes into that’s arduous.”
Mazzulla has utilized a deeper bench than he did in his first three seasons as Celtics head coach, however he’s stored his large man rotation shallow of late. Boucher was a DNP-CD in seven of the earlier eight video games earlier than logging 14 minutes Sunday night time.
“It’s at all times arduous for a man who hasn’t performed for lots of video games to go in and should execute at sport velocity, and I believed he did that for us,” Mazzulla mentioned. “So it’s a credit score to him, particularly being within the league for so long as he has, and on the similar time, it simply validates, like, anyone may assist win at any time, and all of us have to have the ability to do this.”
Tillman has performed 5 whole minutes within the final 9 video games. Solely two-way gamers Ron Harper Jr., Amari Williams and Max Shulga have seen much less taking part in time than Boucher and Tillman this season.
On most nights, it’s been solely Queta and the 6-foot-10 Garza, who’s helped Boston with his scoring, offensive rebounding and energy however, true to his scouting report, has struggled on the defensive finish. Garza’s defensive rebounding charge off missed subject targets ranks within the 14th percentile amongst NBA bigs, per Cleansing the Glass, and his foul charge is the second-highest for his place.
As a rim protector, Garza has blocked simply six pictures this season to Queta’s 23, and opponents are shooting 71.6% against him contained in the restricted space. They’re at 61.4% in opposition to Queta.
“I imply, clearly, (Queta) offers quite a lot of shot-blocking,” Sam Hauser mentioned. “His presence down there, we’re going to make up for one more methods, being aggressive, simply maintaining guys out of the paint, rebounding very well. Simply attempting to be playmakers on protection.”
Queta’s harm got here at an inopportune time for the Celtics. Over their subsequent 9 video games, they’ll face the highest 5 groups within the Jap Convention as of Tuesday (Pistons, Raptors, Warmth, Cavaliers, Knicks) a complete of six instances, plus matchups with the Lakers and Timberwolves.
The house matchup with Detroit on Wednesday (5 p.m.) might be notably difficult, and never simply because the Pistons have gained 13 straight and personal the NBA’s second-best report at 15-2. Within the groups’ first assembly on Oct. 26, the Celtics have been outrebounded 55-38 and surrendered 19 offensive boards, together with 5 within the last three minutes that helped the Pistons safe a 119-113 win.
Detroit heart Jalen Duren, who wolfed up 18 rebounds in opposition to Boston, has been one of many NBA’s greatest younger facilities this season, averaging 20.3 factors and 11.5 rebounds per sport.
“Clearly, X, Luka, Chris, they’re going to get an even bigger likelihood, and we’re going to wish quite a bit from them,” White mentioned. “Nevertheless it’s additionally on us. We don’t have Neemi again there to take out a number of the issues or the errors we make on the perimeter. It’s going to be a crew effort, rebounding and the whole lot.”
This additionally is likely one of the first accidents the 2025-26 Celtics have handled, excluding the continued Achilles rehab that has sidelined famous person Jayson Tatum. The remainder of their roster has missed a complete of two video games: one by Garza for a concussion on Oct. 24 and one by Tillman for private causes on Nov. 7.
